Arseblog - The Arsecasts, Arsenal Podcasts

In this first of two pre-season podcast episodes, I chat with Ken Early from Second Captains about the dawn of a new Premier League campaign, how quickly it's come around, Jose Mourinho's latest meltdown, Unai Emery's appointment, Liverpool's chances this season, and a look at the rest of the top six as well as teams which may have a chance of breaking into that upper echelon of the league.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's a special bonus Arsecast following the news that Alisher Usmanov has agreed to sell his stake in the club to Stan Kroenke – ultimately giving him 100% control of the shares. I chat with James from Gunnerblog and Tim Payton from the AST about the situation, how they feel about it as fans, what the impact and consequences might be, and how Arsenal will be changed for it. Then there's a bit of Kroenke stuff but a good dollop of football chat with the legend that is Ian Wright, who has some insight from the training ground, high hopes for the new boss, and lots more.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's show, now that our pre-season preparations are complete, we discuss and analyse the readiness of the team for the opening game against Manchester City. There are concerns about our defence, and the strange decision to move Calum Chambers out on loan despite him signing a new contract just a few weeks ago suggests Unai Emery feels there's an issue at the back too. On top of that, our outgoing transfer business is an area which has been less than convincing, and we discuss potential departures along with listener questions about our team for the Man City game, the left-back situation, possible boardroom issues, player contracts and lots more.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's show a good whack of waffle from me about Arsenal in Dublin, a few snippets of info I picked up along the way, plus thoughts on the team's performance against Chelsea, and the need for patience overall – both in terms of things that aren't quite right yet and things which are in danger of being a bit overhyped. Then I talk to Dan Betts, author of Almost Invincible: Arsenal's Class of 91 – about the 1990-91 season in which Arsenal won the league losing just one game. A lot went on that year on and off the pitch, and you can win a copy of the book too.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's show we discuss the two games in Singapore against Atletico Madrid and PSG, some of the players who have caught in the eye – including Emile Smith Rowe and Matteo Guendouzi, Unai Emery's tactical openness, the Aubameyang on the left situation, and the many captains we're about to have before we answer listener questions about the centre of the defence, left back, potential new signings, the players who have been on holiday, why we appear to be so much more muscly, mispronunciations and lots more besides.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's show I chat with Tim Stillman about the game in Singapore, the Aaron Ramsey situation, and the strange goings-on involving Ivan Gazidis, AC Milan and that weird statement released by the club. After that, I interview Tom Markham, one of the producers of an amazing new film called 'Kaiser: The Greatest Footballer Never to Play Football'. It tells the remarkable story of 'Kaiser', a Brazilian who had a 26 year career in football despite being absolutely unable to play the game at this level. How on earth did he do it? Find out in the podcast!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's show a pre-season round-up as the team heads to Singapore to play PSG and Atletico Madrid. We talk about the tour squad, a potential new deal for Alex Iwobi, the Ivan Gazidis/AC Milan situation and look forward to seeing what way Unai Emery is going to set up his team. We then discuss Mesut Ozil's statements about racism and discrimination and his decision to step away from the German national side. After that we answer listener questions about developing young players, how optimistic we are for the new season, the Tottenham toilet seat, kit launches, Superman, and much more.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today's episode is a call-in show recorded last night and I chat to Arsenal fans about all kinds of things including the future of Aaron Ramsey, Lucas Perez and his role this season, why our transfer business is relatively unexciting, what the board's expectations for Unai Emery are for his first campaign as head coach, the centre of our defence, the HARD WORK, signing a winger, and lots more.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you're a long-term reader/listener to Arseblog, you'll know that I always had a real soft spot for Philippe Senderos. His Arsenal career didn't work out as well as he would have liked, but he retains a huge affection for the club, as he outlines in the chat we had last month. We discuss his early years, arriving to Arsenal as an 18 year old, settling in, dealing with injuries, the bright start to his time with the Gunners, winning the FA Cup against Man Utd, the times when things went wrong, his loan to AC Milan that was brought about by Mathieu Flamini, where football has taken him since, and where it might take him in the future. He speaks very candidly about his career, and he's a smart, intelligent guy, so I'm sure you'll enjoy this episode. Philippe is currently playing for Houston Dynamo in MLS.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What did we learn from Arsenal's 8-0 win over Boreham Wood FC at the weekend? Not a lot in truth, other than James doesn't know how to pronounce the name of his home town, but there are tougher tests to come in pre-season as the new boss puts his team through its paces. We round up the latest Arsenal news, as well as the World Cup final, before answering questions about how hard the team is working, the hard work, the working hard and so on, Alexandre Lacazette, Olivier Giroud's international triumph, Dembele from Barcelona, our transfer business, and lots more.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Joining me on the show this week are Tim Stillman and Andrew Allen, and we start with World Cup discussion after England's journey came to an end. How did they, as Englishmen, enjoy the experience. There's a brief preview of the final too, before we move on to chat about all things Arsenal including the two midfield signings we made this week, how Unai Emery might set up his side for the new season, the Aaron Ramsey situation, what the new boss might do with some of the young players, and more. There's a dollop of the usual waffle, and a preview of something awesome coming soon.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

England are into the semi-final of the World Cup and James is excited. We chat about their tournament, and assess their chances of going all the way. Then there's Arsenal chat as our signings seem to be almost complete, unless of course we sell somebody which could require further investment. We talk about getting our business done early, and then answer listener questions about social media sleuths, Ainsley Maitland-Niles prospects, which three players we'd sell if we could, which goalkeeper will start our opening game of the season, and much more.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The World Cup continues with shocks, drama, excitement, penalty shoot-outs and more. We chat about the goings-on, an impressive performance from rumoured target Lucas Torreira and whether that will scupper our chances of getting him, and look at the Arsenal involvement in the tournament so far. We also look at the Aaron Ramsey situation and while hopeful he'll sign a new deal, we're not exactly optimistic (hopefully our pessimism results in a new contract almost immediately). There are more questions about VAR, about transfers, some predictions for next season, and lots more.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There's not a lot of Arsenal news this week, but here's a podcast anyway. I'm joined by Tim Stillman to chat about the World Cup, Brazil's chances of going the distance, his aversion to VAR versus the drama and entertainment it provides, as well as an update from the supporter's club meeting which saw Unai Emery meet fans for the first time. What were his impressions of the new boss? And how Ivan Gazidis is taking ownership of this new project which distancing himself from what came before. There's some of the usual waffle in there too.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On today's show more World Cup chat, Mesut Ozil and Alex Iwobi are dropped, Xhaka scores a banger but might end up in trouble with FIFA for his celebration, David Ospina just needs more cuddles than anyone else, while away from Russia there are more links to Ever Banega, as well as a very interesting cover on the latest edition of the Arsenal magazine. Then it's listener questions about which England players we should buy, who will be the first player sold by the new boss, World Cup haircuts good and bad, the dangers of eating too many jacket potatoes, incredible dexterity with left hand/right hand confusion brought about by late-life learning skills, and much more.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On today's show I chat with James from Gunnerblog about the arrival of new goalkeeper Bernd Leno, the departure of Jack Wilshere, our transfer business in general, and the changes at coaching level – including the retention of Steve Bould as one of Unai Emery's assistants. Then it's World Cup and specifically Iceland's involvement with ‪@Antonstotle‬. He talks about what it means to see them there, how such a small nation has made such great leaps, and we touch on the campaign so far, especially after their amazing draw with Argentina in the opening game.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The World Cup is underway and that's the main focus of today's podcast, but with a close look at the Arsenal players taking part and how things are going for them. We discuss the use of VAR, and the new deal signed by Granit Xhaka which shows he's likely to be a key part of Unai Emery's midfield next season. Then we answer questions about Mesut Ozil and why there seems to be such debate and discussion about him as a player and his performances, the participation of the U21s in the Checkatrade Trophy next season, and lots more besides including a smattering of Jeff Goldblum.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With the signing of Uruguayan midfielder Lucas Torreira said to be near completion, I'm joined by James Horncastle who gives us some insight into the Sampdoria man. We look at his career progression, what kind of a player he is, how he might fit into the Arsenal set up, his strengths and weaknesses and more, before we chat for a bit about the World Cup which kicked off in Russia last night. Then it's Arsenal history with Andy Kelly, Mark Andrews and Tim Stillman. Their new book 'Royal Arsenal: Champions of the South' uncovers some fascinating new stuff about the formation of the club, dispels some myths and misinformation, going as far as discovering the exact plot of land on which our first game was played on. There's also a chance to win a signed copy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This podcast begins with a discussion about sawing off your own arm, which tells you how quiet things are at the moment. Nevertheless, we discuss Tomas Rosicky's testimonial, transfer links to players young and old, changes at academy level, and Sven's scouting, before we answer questions about how much is going on behind the scenes, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, what Unai Emery is doing with his summer, fruit chucking, making a delicious thing extinct and loads more besides.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On today's show I chat to Paolo Bandini about the signing of 34 year old Stephan Lichtsteiner who joins after seven successful years with Juventus. What kind of a player is he? What kind of an impact will he have on the squad on and off the pitch? Is his age a worry in the fast-paced Premier League? Paolo gives us the lowdown on that, and we also discuss the appointment of Unai Emery, transfers, and the television rights deal which has seen Amazon get some of the games. There's a smattering of the usual waffle, some digital assistant mayhem, a bit of doggus interruptus and an old friend right at the end.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.